SportsLog: Knicks tape Carmelo Anthony’s on- court interactions

Days after Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony’s overreaction to some inappropriate words said by the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett led to a one-game suspension, MSG chairman James Dolan had listening devices monitoring everything said to and by Anthony during Friday’s home game against the Bulls, according to a report in the Newark Star-Ledger.
Teams routinely send videotape of plays they felt should have been fouls to the league office, and perhaps Dolan wants to be able to provide NBA officials with audio proof of what goes on with Anthony . . . Sacramento’s mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA player, is taking his fight to keep the Kings in the city to NBA owners. Johnson said he has received approval from commissioner David Stern to present a counteroffer to the league from buyers who wouldn’t relocate the team. A group led by investor Chris Hansen wants to purchase the team and move it to Seattle. The league’s deadline for teams to apply for a move for the next season is March 1 . . . Lawyer Larry McGuinness filed a class-action suit against the Spurs in Miami-Dade County Monday for violating the state’s deceptive and fair trade practices law. The suit stems from San Antonio’s Nov. 29 game against the Heat when coach Gregg Popovich sent home the team’s star players . . . The Timberwolves’ Kevin Love is expected to return in March after undergoing successful surgery on his broken right hand in New York.

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baseball

Soriano, Nationals agree to $28m deal

Washington and 33-year old reliever Rafael Soriano reached an agreement pending a physical on a $28 million, two-year contract a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. Speaking on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official, the person said Soriano’s contract contains a $14 million option for 2015 that would become guaranteed if he reaches 120 games finished over 2013 and 2014 combined . . . Former Arizona television analyst Mark Grace
blames himself, not the team, for firing him last season. The former first baseman with the Diamondbacks and the Cubs was fired after his arrest last August in Scottsdale — his second drunken driving arrest in 15 months. Grace pleaded not guilty in October to four felony counts of aggravated DUI. His trial is scheduled for March 19.

COLLEGES

Penn St. wants defamation suit tossed

Penn State’s lawyers asked a judge to throw out a whistleblower and defamation lawsuit filed by former assistant football coach Mike McQueary, who testified he saw Jerry Sandusky attack a boy in a school shower more than a decade ago. The university believes McQueary’s lawsuit is too vague and does not meet standards to support claims of defamation . . . Former Syracuse athletic department media director Roger Springfield pleaded not guilty to charges he secretly videotaped male athletes in the locker room. Springfield was arraigned in Onondaga County Court in New York on four counts of unlawful surveillance . . .
Boston College football coach Steve Addazio announced the hiring of Todd Fitch as wide receivers coach and Al Washington as running backs coach . . . Jesse Morgan, the UMass men’s basketball team’s second-leading scorer, will be lost for the season after it was reported he had torn his ACL during Thursday’s game against St. Louis.

GOLF

McGinley Europe’s Ryder Cup captain

Paul McGinley was chosen as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain for 2014. Europe will defend the trophy at Gleneagles, Scotland. Top-ranked Rory McIlroy spoke forcefully in favor of the 46-year-old Irishman . . . The LPGA Tour announced a 28-tournament schedule that includes five majors, and three new tournaments. It will also get 300 hours of television coverage, the most in its history. The new tournaments are the North Texas Shootout (April 25-28), one in the Bahamas (May 23-26), and the Reignwood Pine Valley Classic in China in early October.

MISCELLANY

Canucks’ Booth sidelined 4-6 weeks

Winger David Booth of the Canucks will be out 4-6 weeks with a groin strain . . . The Flyers named Claude Giroux the 19th captain in team history
. . . Detroit has chosen Henrik Zetterberg as its captain . . .
George Gund III, the original owner of the San Jose Sharks, died. He was 75. The Sharks say Gund died Tuesday in Palm Springs, Calif., after a battle with cancer . . . ESPN anchor Stuart Scott tweeted late Monday that his cancer has returned. Scott said he would undergo chemotherapy every two weeks but will continue to work . . . American teen Mikaela Shiffrin won a World Cup slalom event in Flachau, Austria, finishing in a combined time of 1:51.45 . . . Rafa Nadal will return to action from a knee injury at next month's Brazil Open in Sao Paulo, the ATP confirmed . . . The US men’s soccer team will play its first home game in the final round of World Cup qualifying against Costa Rica on March 22 at Commerce City, Colo. The US opens the 10-game round at Honduras on Feb. 6.